Cliff Mitchell

Served as Director 2021 – 2022

During COVID, Cliff has remained “active and engaged” pursuing his passion.  He is a performer at heart and has worked with community and NWARTA members in founding the Seniors Reading Theatre Grande Prairie.

Initially, the project was seniors entertaining seniors but like any endeavour, it has grown to include seniors entertaining in the community.  Several members performed in the Heritage Village Folktales Tour at the Grande Prairie Museum in mid-October 2020.  Themed “Experience the chills of the past”, tales based in truth, with perhaps elements of fiction, were told in the spooky darkness of the Museum Village.

The cold was a discomfort for those who did not dress for the event, but that was not the case for Cliff who dawned a full-length buffalo coat.  If I remember correctly, he said it weighed 40 pounds.  While the picture is not the greatest (even with the flash), Cliff is pictured here reading in the Hudson’s Bay Trading Store (of course wearing a mask). On this evening, his performing/reading partner was his daughter Sandra.

Another project for Seniors Reading Theatre is retelling the stories recorded in Grande Prairie archivist, Mary Nutting’s, A Grande Education: 100 Schools in the County of Grande 

Prairie,1910-1960. The Readers are recognizing and honouring Mrs Nutting’s “contributions to preserving local history” by re-telling the stories of some of these 100 schools.  They have videotaped these presentations and they are being edited for public viewing.

Bethe Goldie, both a Reader and a NWARTA member, says they could use more help in this project and welcomes interested individuals who may be willing to help to visit the Seniors Reading Theatre Facebook page.